


Like A Bandaid

by QunariOnTheCitadel



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Trans Ryder, mlm author, muslim author, transman author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 06:52:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13230309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QunariOnTheCitadel/pseuds/QunariOnTheCitadel
Summary: HCs1) I went with different names for both Mama and Sis Ryder. Mom is Saliima al-Bangura (she kept her maiden name) and Sis is Danielle Ryder (still Adrian's twin (identical))2) All of my Ryders are Shi'a Muslim including Alec (Saliima's family is from Saudia Arabia and the kids are half Arab and half black (from Alec's side))3) Osune (mentioned briefly) is one of my drell ocs and a family friend to the Ryders who later (two years before the Initiative) married Tara (the oldest Ryder kid, born before the twins), she is thought to have stayed back in the Milky WayTranslations1) "Habibi" - term of endearment for boys2) "Madha?" - "What?"3) "Hal ‘ant haml?” - "Are you pregnant?" (like the tags say, my Ryder is trans and he has his kid through a donor)





	Like A Bandaid

     “I am just now seeing how close this is to the Citadel…” Saliima took in a breath and leaned on the rail, looking out in the artificial sky the Nexus offered.  
     Adrian looked as well and saw it too, as well as heard birdsong scattered in different parts of the station. Memories of the different shops on the Citadel that he and his sisters - including Osune - came back and he felt that longing in his chest that he'd grown familiar with.  
     “Sometimes I forget,” He started, taking a spot on the rail beside his mother, “When I'm tired or just missing home I'll think I'm back on the Citadel, walking around shops like we used to do.”  
     “Yeah?” Saliima asked, turning to face Adrian. He looked at her and truly admired her face. Warm green eyes complimented by her brown skin showed a sense of freedom and youth in her still, despite her growing wrinkles and the few silver hairs he saw poking from under the hijab she wore loose around her head.  
     “Yeah…” He said, giving a half-hearted smile, “It hurts every now and again, but I could never regret coming here. Even when I think about Osune, I don't regret it.”  
     Saliima chuckled, “You were made for this galaxy it seems. All three of you.”  
     “I want to think the same for dad, but perhaps not.”  
     She was quiet for a second before responding, “Things are like that sometimes, habibi. Best you can do is move on and look forward.”  
     Adrian smiled, looking back out over the station, “Yep.”  
     He stayed there thinking over his next words carefully for what seemed like a while. Bringing her up to the shops amidst large groups seemed like a good idea to lighten the load of what he needed to tell her, seeing as he always locked up with one-on-one conversations with such serious topics. Now, however, he wasn't sure if it made all that much a difference. They could've been completely alone in a room with no exits for all it felt like.  
     He thought his next words carefully, sure, but there was no telling how she would react, given that topics like this weren't discussed before she got sick, given that he and Danielle were still young. And she didn't see him grow over the four short years she was asleep in Andromeda and he wasn't around long enough recently to give her a guess on how he and his life had changed thanks to the small resurface of kett in the past months. He inhaled. If he kept preparing he would never do it. Okay…  
     “I’m-”  
     “What-”  
     Saliima smiled a bit out of a slight embarrassment, “Sorry, go ahead.”  
     Adrian thanked in prayer for the stall, “It’s nothing, go ahead.” If only it was nothing.  
     “I was just asking what you brought me up for, seeing as you said you needed to tell me something in the email.” Shit…  
     “Oh…” Adrian could feel his heart beating hard out of his chest, “I'm uh…” He tried not to fidget with his hands so much, but failed miserably. Saliima knew to take that as a bad sign.  
     “Adi?” She inclined her head a little bit.  
     He reluctantly turned his head towards her and saw her brows furrowed slightly. Like a bandaid, just do it like a bandaid.  
     “Well, um…” His nails found their way in between in his teeth, “It's hard to say.”  
     “That important?” She asked in a tone deliberately not condescending.  
     “Considering the fact that it not only affects my job, but also my family, yeah,” He shook his head, “That sounds bad, it's not a bad thing it's just… big…”  
     “Well,” Saliima started, giving Adrian a pat on his arm, “Whatever it is, you know you can tell me.” A reminder he always had during his childhood. Another inhale.  
     “I’m gonna be a dad.” Like a bandaid.  
     “You're- Madha? Hal ‘ant haml?” She was ecstatic. He smiled before nodding.  
     “Adi!” She clasped her arms around his waist, her face lined with his chest.  
     “I told you it was big, mama,” Adrian said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.  
     Saliima chuckled, “Who all knows?”  
     “Just you and Jaal. I’m gonna tell Dani and Tara later tonight.”  
     She squeezed harder and he let out an airy laugh. “You took this better than I thought you would.”  
     She stopped squeezing and looked him in the eyes, all of her warmth radiating off of her. “Adi, you’re doing so much better than we were when I found out we were having Tara,” Her eyes gazed down half a second before returning back to look at Adrian, “All that I could be worried about is if you were ready and who you would be with, and you’ve shown me that there is no reason to fret about either.”  
     “Yeah?” He asked, feeling all of the weight lift from his shoulders.  
     “You grew up fast,” She said, “All of you did. I just didn’t have the time to catch up with you.”  
     Adrian snorted, “Well, now you do.”  
     Saliima didn’t say anything, just smiled wider and looked back out over the Nexus. After a second, Adrian joined her.  
     Like a bandaid. He would have to use that technique more often.

**Author's Note:**

> HCs  
> 1) I went with different names for both Mama and Sis Ryder. Mom is Saliima al-Bangura (she kept her maiden name) and Sis is Danielle Ryder (still Adrian's twin (identical))  
> 2) All of my Ryders are Shi'a Muslim including Alec (Saliima's family is from Saudia Arabia and the kids are half Arab and half black (from Alec's side))  
> 3) Osune (mentioned briefly) is one of my drell ocs and a family friend to the Ryders who later (two years before the Initiative) married Tara (the oldest Ryder kid, born before the twins), she is thought to have stayed back in the Milky Way
> 
> Translations  
> 1) "Habibi" - term of endearment for boys  
> 2) "Madha?" - "What?"  
> 3) "Hal ‘ant haml?” - "Are you pregnant?" (like the tags say, my Ryder is trans and he has his kid through a donor)


End file.
